Inside The Sprint Center

[KC-wildcat]

I apologize about some of the blurry pics.  No tri-pod

[Tosspot]

awesome! thanks

[GRID]

Very cool!  How steep are those escalators?  The views of the city from inside thing will be insane.  It will be hard "not" to go for the nose bleed seats!

[KCTigerFan]

Great pics.  The space is going to be amazing! 

I am surprised at how much of a contrast the amber glass panels are.  I expected them to blend in more.  They certainly stand out. 

[AllThingsKC]

Great pics!!!!  Looks like they're just about ready to start playing hockey!   

Question: Why are some of the glass pannels yellow?

[CyDanny]

Cool pics.  How'd you get in there and take pics unnoticed? 

[mister816]

yea, i don't like the way that the yellow panels look, they are tacky.  but other than that, the arena looks great.

and btw... i thought the hockey talks were over, it's a done deal, it won't happen.

[AllThingsKC]

and btw... i thought the hockey talks were over, it's a done deal, it won't happen.

It won't happen with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but we could still have another team come here.  They'll still need to have arena floor ready for Disney on Ice!

[mykem]

Great pics thanks!!!!! and yes those yellow tinted windows are horrible! Get rid of them now!

[KC-wildcat]

Great pics thanks!!!!! and yes those yellow tinted windows are horrible! Get rid of them now!

I am family friends with one of the lead architects.  He took a group of us on a tour and I brought my camera.  Some people on here have been surprised that they let me take pictures in there; but the architect never said anything and neither did any construction workers.

The yellow glass pannels will only be seen at night when the Center is lit from the inside.  This is why you can't see them from the outside during the day.  The architect was involved in the design process of the panneling and he was very excited about how they will look at night time.  I think when the entire Center is lit up and really bright, the individual yellow panels will be much more suttle.  They just stand out a lot more in low light.   

And yes, those are the largest escalators I have ever seen in my life. 

[DanCa]

How does Sprint compare to Kemper on size?  Will it hold more people?

[CyDanny]

and btw... i thought the hockey talks were over, it's a done deal, it won't happen.

The penguins aren't coming, but who knows about anything else.  I've heard more grumblings about hockey teams unhappy with leases/attendance/venue than I have basketball teams.  It's not like we're hearing anything from AEG, so it's all speculation.

[KCMax]

The penguins aren't coming, but who knows about anything else.  I've heard more grumblings about hockey teams unhappy with leases/attendance/venue than I have basketball teams.  It's not like we're hearing anything from AEG, so it's all speculation.

Like who? The only hockey team I've heard is Nashville, and their owner has gone out of his way to say he doesn't want to come to KC. Are there other teams looking to leave?

The Magic, Kings, and Sonics all have arena issues, and the Hornets soon will make grumbling as well.

[Maitre D]

yea, i don't like the way that the yellow panels look, they are tacky.  but other than that, the arena looks great.

I kinda like the yellow.

and btw... i thought the hockey talks were over, it's a done deal, it won't happen.

Don't say that.  Minor league hockey is still a possibility for Sprint Center.

[KCPowercat]

How does Sprint compare to Kemper on size?  Will it hold more people?

Almost exact same seating wise.

[KC0KEK]

Sometimes arenas under construction will describe the seat count as "estimated." How can that be? If parts of an arena have tolerances of less than 1 inch, how can they not know at the start of consturcion exactly how many seats will fit? A minor, perhaps silly issue, but I've always wondered about that.

[mykem]

Now that I'm actually awake, I must say great job! Yes, those are some pretty high escalators. I love the seating bowl. I like the picture of the hole that shows all the other levels below, and how high you actually are. I also noticed your picture(s) of the "topping off" portion of the celing. Any word on the color of the seating? What was the mood like inside with the construction workers? And was there any mention on how easy this arena would be able to be converted to a green standard building?

[moderne]

I don't see yellow, I see amber.

[Beermo]

yes, they are amber. very hard to see from the outside, but you can pick 'em out if you look hard enough.

btw, the amber panels were originally going to be chartreuse, but MKB nixed that idea and told them she wanted amber instead.

[KC-wildcat]

Any word on the color of the seating? What was the mood like inside with the construction workers? And was there any mention on how easy this arena would be able to be converted to a green standard building?

No idea on the seating color.  In the renderings it is black.  We were in the building after 5:00, so a lot of the workers had gone home.  Those that were still there appeared to be in good spirits.  Some joking about laying the ice down and watching some hockey.  I think the general consensus is that the project is moving along quite nicely; no major accidents, delays, short-falls, etc.  

Couple of comments on my experience.  I was with a group of guys who are all architects in Kansas City.  They were all floored at the spectacle that is the Sprint Center.  Not an architect myself, but they all commented on the awesome open spaces in the concourses and how people will be able to interact with the space very well.  Sight-lines are spectacular.  The place is friekin' enormous, yet the seating bowl is tight, close, and intimate.  There are only two entrances; one east and one west.  There is one VIP level/club.  Many open areas to get drinks, socialize, and generally congregate.  It will be truly amazing at night to congregate on the west side of the stadium, have a drink in hand, and look out over the city and the bustling P&L District.  The fan experience will be unprecedented in an NBA/NHL arena.  

The open windows at the top of the bowl on the east and west side will be covered by a mechanical curtain during sporting events.  If you notice in the four corners at the top of the bowl, the big areas behind the cuper columns; that is where the curtains will be housed.  Basically, we were told that it must be dark enough in there for figure skating.  Not really sure what that means other than absolutely no natural light will enter during events.  

Not to generalize, but my experience with architects has always been that they are constantly trying to make buildings/structures/spaces better.  It's not quite pessimism, but they are usually not 100% satisfied with anything.  Always room for improvement.  After the tour, they were all blown away.    

I guess the seating capacity is similar to Kemper, but the space seems a lot bigger.  Obviously, the roof is a lot higher and the seats are more vertical as opposed to horizontal.  Everything is just so much more compact in the seating bowl.  But, with the huge concourses, three story ceilings and spacious views, Sprint Center is to Kemper as the Great Wall of China is to Berlin Wall.

Closing thought:
Three of the five of us (on tour) were also down in OKC for the Big XII tournament.  Ford Center = $85 million     Sprint Center = $235 million.  You can definately tell.  From every little detail to the large scale general concept, everything about our Arena is immensely superior.  I mean, it's not even close.  It's like the difference between a college arena and a highschool gymnasium.  I was absolutely blown away.  Lead architect says everything is right on schedule.  may be minor detail work uncompleted at time of opening.  but it's scheduled to open on time nonetheless.